


The Last Stand

by Its_a_secre1094



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Angst, Death, F/M, Fluff, Going with the flow, Graphic Violence, Memory Loss, PTSD, but i don’t really know, probably some other stuff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-12
Updated: 2018-05-13
Packaged: 2019-05-06 00:29:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14630229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Its_a_secre1094/pseuds/Its_a_secre1094
Summary: Starting with Link’s death, we follow him through his regeneration and recovery.





	1. Chapter 1

Link swallowed hard as his fingers tightened around the hilt of the ever sacred sword in his hand. His vigilant eyes flitted between the two mechanical beasts before him, their pulsing eyes locked on him as they crept forward. The blade twitched upward, ready to strike. Somewhere amongst the clangs of their metal legs and the whirring of their heads, he could hear the Princess of Hyrule whimpering. In an effort to keep her alive and safe, he had practically shoved her under an already deceased Guardian, using its body as a haven. In the process, however, he had been spotted.

 

A bead of sweat trailed down his forehead as he calculated his survival. Even with Master Sword in one hand and a shield of the Royal Guard in the other, the odds of two massive machines to one small Hylian didn’t bode well for him. However, the wise words that his father often spoke to him rang out in his head.

 

 ** _A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage_**.

 

As the blaring blue eyes of the Guardians activated and began tracking him, he raised his shield and waited, preparing himself for the blow he was about to receive. He could time a perfect parry against one, but he could not defend against both at the same time.

 

Time slowed down for a moment and Link’s eyes narrowed to a squint as his breath halted in his lungs. Bright light flashed in the Guardian’s eyes and then hurled itself at him. Just as he had planned, he swung Royal Guard’s shield into the blast and parried it right back into the first Guardian. He immediately covered himself with his shield again, just in time to absorb the blast from the second Guardian. The shield shattered from the impact, the grass around him catching fire.He charged through the superheated air before the machine could react and drove the Master Sword straight through its eye. He watched up close as the red light slowly dissipated until the Guardian’s legs collapsed and its head slumped forward, lifeless.

 

Dropping to the ground with a heavy thud, Link rushed back to the hidden young woman, helping her climb out from underneath the dead metal.

 

She cried as he helped her up and threw herself into his arms. Heavy sobs shook her chest and he tightened his arms around her shoulders, his eyes scanning the horizon for more danger. When he found none, he settled against her with a shaky exhale, his eyes squeezing shut. He was hurt. As his adrenaline dropped, he felt the pull of the Earth’s gravity overwhelm him. Zelda gasped as her knight fell to his knees before her, his forehead pressed against her hip and his fingers clutching the fabric of her dress.

 

“Link!” Zelda knelt to his level, taking his face in her hands. Blood, dirt, and sweat streaked his face and neck, several fresh cuts splitting his skin. His eyelids hung heavy as he tried to look at her, wincing at every small movement. “Oh, Link...” Zelda whispered, a fresh set of tears stinging her eyes as she examined him. His shield arm was badly burned, blisters covering his hands. He had taken a direct hit to his arm, a blade having sliced through his tunic and into his flesh. A piece of his shattered shield had lodged itself in his side and judging by the way his chest heaved, she surmised that he also had several broken ribs, one of which had probably punctured his lung. “We need to get you out of here...”

 

“I...ca...” With trying to force a response came a fit of coughs, then a trail of sticky blood pouring over his bottom lip. He spit to the side, grimacing at the copper taste that coated his tongue. All of the sudden, his eyes flicked up behind her and filled with worry. “Zelda...”

 

She heard the hum of the mechanical beings before she saw them, but when she turned around, her heart stopped. A horde of Guardians was traveling their way, their beady blue eyes scouring the land for prey. The crash of metal on metal sent a sharp chill up her spine and she rushed behind her fallen knight, placing her hands on his shoulders.

 

“Link, save yourself! Go!!” She cried against him. The wounded man did not move, he merely eyed the beasts before him as he desperately gasped for air. “I’ll be fine, don’t worry about me. Run!”

 

He didn’t run. As a Guardian locked on to the pair and stalked forward, the Hero of Hyrule dug the sacred blade into the ground and stood. His body flung backwards and he stumbled, shoulders slumping forwards as he tried to regain his balance. Pain seared his entire being, from the hairs on the top of his scalp to the bottoms of his feet. Blood trickled out from his open wounds and sweat dripped from his chin. He let out a grunt and his lips curled into a snarl as he stood as tall as he could to match his enemy. His breath came in short rasps and his eyelids drooped low, yet he tightened his fingers around his sword once again.

 

**_Courage need not be remembered, for it is never forgotten. _ ****__**

**__****_ _ **

 

**__****_ _ **

Link took his last stand, using himself to shield the trembling Princess behind him. The Master Sword did not raise this time, but hung limply at his side. As the glass eye activated and targeted him, he closed his eyes and waited for his end to come.

**__****_ _ **

 

**__****_ _ **

“NO!!” With a loud cry, Zelda pushed Link out of the way and raised her right hand. Divine power surged through her and exploded into the air with a deafening, bell-like toll. The triforce blazed on the back of her hand as the field was drowned in rich golden light. For several moments, it seemed Hyrule was frozen. Zelda squinted against her own illumination, her sole purpose at that moment finally coming to life. The princess withdrew her hand as the light faded and the heavy metal of dying Guardians rang out as they crashed to the ground. Her voice trembled as she realized what she had done. “Was...was that...the power...”

**__****_ _ **

 

**__****_ _ **

Her wonder was interrupted as she heard a body crumple to the ground, a small cry accompanying it. She turned and saw Link collapsed in a heap in the dirt. Her heart lurched out of her chest as she ran to his side. “No...no!! Link!” She grabbed his shoulders and shook him, her eyes stinging with desperation. He didn’t move. “Get up!”She rolled him over and into her arms, moving a strand of his bangs that were stuck to his forehead. His eyes just barely opened and he looked at her. He looked at her with admiration, with pride, with love...and guilt. “You’re going to be just fine.” She whispered pressing her forehead to his, tears spilling onto her cheeks. A strangled cough racked his chest as he struggled to lift his hand to her chin. “Please don’t go.” Her hand closed around his and she dipped her head to kiss his fingertips. He mouthed a silent apology to her, to which she merely shook her head. The world fell silent as her beautiful, tear filled emerald eyes gazed down at him. His hand slipped out of hers...his eyes dropped closed...his head lolled back...he was gone.

**__****_ _ **


	2. Awakening

A golden sphere of light shone against an eternally black backdrop. Streaks and sparks spirited out from its nexus. The sphere constantly trembled, like a collapsing star. It’s light was warm and inviting, accompanied by a light chime. Another sound was made, but it was muffled. It happened again, slightly more clear this time. It sounded like a voice speaking to him, but he couldn’t make out the words that were said.

Suddenly the light began to swell until all he saw was gold. And then it all faded into darkness. Warmth overtook him and the voice rang out again, as clear as crystal. A sound so smooth and divine, he had no choice but to do as he was told.

_Open your eyes._

————————-

Link squinted as he stepped out of the cave, holding a hand in front of his eyes as he struggled to adjust to the brightness of the sun. He could feel the soft grass poking between his toes and a light, cool breeze sweeping over his bare chest. As he took a step forward, the words that the voice relayed to him only moments before echoed in his mind.

_Link...you are the light - our light - that must shine upon Hyrule once again._

His name was Link, he knew that much. Yet, he didn’t know this mysterious voice. He didn’t know what Hyrule was. He didn’t know what it meant when it said he was the light.

Shaking his head as if to clear his confusion, he took another step forward. A small grunt of discomfort rolled off his lips as he stretched his arm muscles. He was unbelievably stiff, like he hadn’t moved in years. As he neared the pointed edge of the cliff in front of him, his breath caught in his chest. Laid out before him, past this cliff, was an enormous landscape. His eyes scanned the beautiful horizon from a set of sharp twin peaks, across a foreboding active volcano, to a lofty plateau topped with snowy clouds. At the center of it all lay a castle, shrouded in darkness. As he gazed down at that darkness, he felt his gut twist with heavy unease and a sudden, primal instinct to fight. He felt his hands clench into fists and his shoulders stiffen, his eyes sharpening as he watched clouds of black smoke swirl around the stone walls. He didn’t know what lay there, but he felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle as he looked on.

The smell of fire caught his attention and he turned to his right, his eyes now scanning over an old, dilapidated temple. At the base of that temple stood a hooded figure. He was being watched. Once spotted, the hooded figure stared on for a few more moments, then turned and retreated back to the campfire a few feet away.

Link was intrigued. With one last glance at the malicious looking castle, he set off down the hill towards the fire.

“Oho ho...” The man chuckled as he approached. Link took a moment to size him up. He seemed old and weathered, sitting cross legged in front of his fire as he stoked the flames with the end of his lantern. A full, white beard hung out of his cloak and the hood covered the majority of the stranger’s face. “Well met, stranger. It’s rather unusual to see another soul in these parts.”

Link was silent for a moment, his hands resting on his hips as he tried to get a feel for where he was. “Who are you?”

“Oh me? I’ll spare you my life story. I’m just an old fool who has lived here, alone, for quite some time now.” The man shifted, his hood opening slightly to reveal his eyes. They seemed light and kind, his white facial hair doing well to soften his features. “I hope you’ll permit me to ask a question...If I may be so bold...are you not chilly?”

Link looked down and realized that he was nearly naked, save for a pair of skin tight shorts that covered his masculinity. He took a second to examine himself. He had rather decent muscle definition, indicating that he must have a high level of physical fitness. He also noticed that the skin of his abdomen, chest, and arms were marked with several discolorations, which he assumed to be scars, and his palms and fingertips held callouses. The Sheikah Slate that he was instructed to use lay low on his hip, strapped to his belt. Instead of answering the old man, Link asked another question of his own. “Where are we?”

“Answering a question with a question. That is fair enough. As I cannot imagine our meeting to be a simple coincidence, I shall tell you.” The man stared at him, his eyes suddenly taking on a strange intensity. “This is the Great Plateau. According to legend, this is the birthplace of the entire kingdom of Hyrule.” He grunted as he slowly stood and turned, pointing out into the distance with his lantern. “That temple there...Long ago, it was the site of many sacred ceremonies. Ever since the decline of the kingdom 100 years ago it has sat abandoned, in a state of decay. Yet another forgotten entity. A mere ghost of its former self...” As he spoke, the old man’s voice faltered to a somber state, trailing off into silence. After a moment of looking on to the temple, the man cleared his throat and gazed back to Link. “I shall be here for some time. Please let me know if I may be of service.”

The old stranger sat back down and returned his attention to the fire, prodding at the wood once again. Link was about to inquire more about his surroundings when the same voice from the cave rang out around him.

_Link...Link. Head for the point marked on the map in your Sheikah Slate._

Link blinked as he looked around, eventually pulling out the strange tablet that lay at his hip. With the click of one of the buttons, he turned it on again and followed the instructions to get to the map. He didn’t actually have a map, it seemed, however there was a glowing gold circle marked in one of the blank regions. Using the compass and ignoring the strange stare of his new acquaintance, he oriented himself properly and headed towards that glowing point. He wasn’t sure why he was so willing to follow this strange voice, but he couldn’t deny its pull.

Not long into his journey, he was forced to realize his fighter’s instincts. As he strode along a path, a red creature with crazy eyes, large ears, and an oversized floppy tongue jumped out at him. Link had no idea what this creature was, however it seemed intent on doing him harm. The monster took careless and miscalculated swipes at him, each of them Link could easily dodge. He picked up the nearest thing to him, a mere tree branch, and took three strikes at the creature. On the third strike, the tree branch broke and the monster let out a pathetic cry, rolling over itself until it eventually exploded into a puff of smoke. Strange, he thought. However, it seemed he would need to procure a weapon to defend himself in this area...hopefully one better than a tree branch.

As he continued forward, he did manage to find a weapon. A humble traveler’s sword, but a sword nonetheless. He couldn’t help but marvel at how natural and satiating it felt to hold a sword in his grip, swinging it side to side with ease. By now it had become obvious to him that he had somehow lost his memory. He was unable to recall anything before the moment he awoke up in that cave, yet his body showed he had lived what seemed to be a soldier’s life previously. It made sense to him, seeing his scars and fitness level, his natural thirst to hold a weapon, and the keen, sharpened senses he seemed to have.

By the time he had reached his destination, he’d acquired two more swords, a wooden shield, a wooden bow with a quiver full of arrows, and a decent pair of trousers and boots. He’d met several more monsters along the way, all seeming to match the first one and all just as easily neutralized. He’d found the trousers in a rusty old treasure chest, but unfortunately remained bare chested.

Chomping down into the last remains of an apple, Link stared at his slate as he rounded the corner of a large rock face. His location now matched that golden circle on the map. Looking up, he discarded the apple core to the side and stepped into the carved out stone, finding a pedestal like the one he had taken the slate out of in the cave. As he neared it, its markings started to glow a deep orange color. Upon further examination, it spoke to him.

 **Please place the Sheikah Slate in the pedestal**.

He peered in and around it, attempting to find the source of the voice. With no luck, he carefully extended the slate towards the cavity in the pedestal, gasping as it locked on and sunk into the hard surface.

**Sheikah Tower activated. Please watch for falling rocks.**

“Falling rocks?” He questioned, scratching his head. “What’s that supposed to m-WHOA!”

Link’s question was immediately answered as the platform he was on suddenly shot skyward, blasting through the rock face around him. He stumbled and fell to his back grimacing at the pressure on his lungs from his upward launch. After several moments, the pressure ceased and he slowly sat up with a cough. The air was significantly thinner and colder, he noticed as he stood, probably since he was now thousands of feet into the air. The pedestal blinked and chirped at him with another indication.

**Distilling local information...**

Link waited a few seconds, trying to catch his breath. The stone in front of his eyes illuminated a rich blue color, Hylian script running across it as a strange drop of liquid dropped onto his slate. He peered closer to it as the pedestal chirped again.

**Regional map extracted.**

As he looked closer, there was in fact a portion of the map that had been made visible, with his glowing gold circle sitting in the northeastern corner of it. Link looked around the horizon, noticing other towers like this one within varying distances of him. Each one of them must be a marker for a map section, he concluded. It now seemed like he would be doing a lot of traveling...but for what?

As he retracted the slate from the pedestal and turned to climb down the tower, that voice called out to him again.

_Remember..._

He slowly turned back, a lump rising to his throat as his attention was pulled towards the castle.

_Try...try to remember._

He ran forwards towards the edge of the platform, a golden sphere of light shining like a beacon from the towers. That same golden light...from the cave, before he woke. His heart began to race.

_You have been asleep or the past 100 years._

He felt his stomach sink as more of the malignant black smoke rose from around the castle moat. A terrifying figure, seemingly made of the same smoke, wailed as it circled that shining light. Gigantic horns and beady orange eyes lead its charge, seeming to focus right at Link as it let out a sickening roar once again.

 _The beast...When it regains its true power, this world will face its end_.

What was that thing? Why was it threatening Hyrule and what did it have to do with him? Had he really slept for the past 100 years? What was he supposed to be able to do? Throughout all the confusion and fear, Link was unable to suppress the natural instinct that rose within him. Though he did not know it, it seemed that he was supposed to play a crucial role in vanquishing that beast. His eyes sharpened once again and his hands balled into fists. His shoulders tensed and he dropped into a fighter’s stance. If these senses and instincts were so engrained into his very being, there must be a reason.

_Now then...you must hurry, Link. Before its too late..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dialogue taken directly from the game, i don’t own that shiz!


End file.
